


Leaving Marks

by hydraxx



Series: Moments [1]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 08:15:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4780235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydraxx/pseuds/hydraxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rowan touches up Aelin's tattoo in the days after defeating the King of Adarlan - until their minds turn to other promises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leaving Marks

Two days after Aelin awoke, Rowan returned to their rooms in the stone castle to find her rummaging through a small crate.

“What’s this?” he asked, sliding into a chair next to her.

Aelin gave him a small smile before speaking. “I bought some tattoo supplies this morning. You wanted to fill in my back.”

He leaned over the crate to see an assortment of needles, a mallet, and several sealed jars. “I didn’t realize there was a market for this kind of thing in Rifthold. Are there many fine ladies hiding tattoos under all those skirts and silks?” Aelin tossed a bit of straw packing at him and stuck out her tongue. “It’s a port, Rowan. Not to mention the capital city. You can find just about anything if you know the right person.”

Rowan raised an eyebrow. “Having fun hunting down old Shadow Market acquaintances, then?” Aelin flashed him a feral grin that made his pulse quicken.

She scooped up three of the jars and jerked her head back at the crate. “Choose your tools,” she said, flouncing toward the bedchamber. “This had better not take as long as the first time.”

“You know it’s not supposed to be a vanity project,” he called after her, but selected his instruments carefully and followed.

As he prepared the ink, salt, and iron mixture, Aelin stripped off her tunic and flopped onto the bed. Rowan glanced over at her. “Are you sure you want to risk your bedclothes?” he asked. “You remember what a mess it was in Wendlyn.”

She waved a hand nonchalantly in his direction. “I’d rather be comfortable. Philippa can fuss all she wants, but I won’t have bruises from some wood table again.” Rowan smirked. _Vanity project, indeed._

Aelin hissed as he made the first prick, but didn’t speak this time. She’d already said her prayers for her beloved dead – ten years late, perhaps, but said nonetheless – and repeating that spectacle felt too much like painting herself as a victim to be pitied.

For hours Rowan labored in silence, his mind on the young queen. He was still shocked by the brutality of the wounds that marred Aelin’s skin. She had suffered so much… It was a relief to know that she was now surrounded by a loyal and deadly court, despite her protestations that she needed no protection. Regardless, Rowan was in constant awe at her strength, determination, and cleverness in pursuing the deliverance of Terrasen. Such a queen would serve her country well, and he was proud to be sworn to her service.

In the back of his mind, however, Rowan could think only of Aelin’s lithe body. He yearned to capture her lips again, to hold her close and feel her sigh contentedly in his arms. As she lay exposed before him, it took a fierce exertion of his immortal will to resist leaning down and tasting her exquisite skin.

He shook his head slightly as he reached for the pot of ink, but was unable to dislodge the arousing image of Aelin twining her body around his own.

At last Rowan set the tools aside and leaned back in his chair. “Would you like to inspect the work, my queen?” he murmured. He began to massage a cramp out of one hand.

Aelin groaned as she shifted and shot a glare over her shoulder. “You can’t pull that ‘queen’ bullshit when you’ve just spent hours poking very painful holes in my back, prince.” He chuckled. She remained prone for a moment more, sighing in relief as the sting subsided. Rowan’s restraint began to crumble.

He extended a hand tenderly toward her and stroked one finger along the contour of her waist. Aelin stilled under his touch. She closed her eyes and sucked in a shaky breath as she fought the urge to leap toward him, a move that would undoubtedly set her raw back throbbing in agony. “Rowan,” she breathed.

The sound of his name on her lips compelled him toward her. He leaned close to place deliberate kisses along Aelin’s unmarked flesh, nipping playfully at her ribcage. She shuddered in pleasure.

“I believe,” Rowan whispered, “that I was supposed to prove you wrong about something. With tongue and teeth, wasn’t it?” Aelin moaned into the bedclothes and the scent of her desire hit him like a physical blow. His heart began to race.

Slowly, she raised herself to her forearms and spoke. “Rowan,” she said tensely, “let me up to use the bathing room and I swear to you I will return as quickly as possible.” He growled but moved away slightly, watching his still-shirtless queen stride past him. She paused in the doorway to toss a reckless grin his way. “Prepare yourself. I don’t take the fulfillment of promises lightly.” Rowan squeezed his eyes shut, the phantom taste of her already pulsing through him.

In the bathing room Aelin finished her business quickly, admired Rowan’s flawless work over her old scars, and splashed water on her sweaty face before shifting into her Fae form. She strolled to the door and leaned casually against the frame, smirking at the male across the room who was obviously fighting his overwhelming lust. She inhaled the scent of it and felt heat rising in her core.

Rowan tore his focus from that internal struggle and was immediately struck by Aelin’s beauty and boldness. Her bare breasts were peaked with desire; her rakish grin revealed the elongated canines of her Fae form. He swallowed hard. Clearly, she wasn’t kidding about extracting his promise.

The queen sauntered across the room toward her Fae warrior, letting her hips swing tantalizingly. Her pants sat low enough to expose her honed abdominal muscles and sharply angled pelvic bones. Rowan wondered vaguely if she’d bothered with undergarments today – not that it would matter much in a few minutes.

She leaned over him, careful not to stretch the tender, tattooed flesh of her back. “Well, prince?” Aelin murmured. “Are you ready to convince me?”

Rowan growled, pure predator, and wrapped his massive hands around those lean hips to drag her down into his lap. Aelin crushed her mouth to his in a heated kiss. The male gladly yielded, then bit lightly on her bottom lip to elicit the guttural moan for which he yearned.

Aelin aggressively ground her hips into his lap, seeking the feral reaction she knew lurked under his polished surface. A brisk wind snapped through the suite, slamming shut any open doors, as Rowan relinquished all restraint and squeezed Aelin’s ass with his long fingers. She groaned into the kiss.

After a few wild moments, Aelin pulled back to catch the male’s gaze. “Rowan,” she said breathlessly, “if you don’t want to fuck me in this chair, you’d better move right now.” He was on the bed with her in his arms so quickly she might have missed the movement if she weren’t in Fae form. She sat up straighter and pushed him back into the pillows. He hurried to strip off his own jacket and shirt while she shimmied out of her pants, leaving delicate pink lace underpants in place.

Rowan gazed up from the bed at his beautiful, fierce queen. He barely registered his hands moving to her breasts, but her hiss of pleasure at the contact sent a shock of lust through his entire body. Aelin leaned back slightly, gripping his thighs as she began again to grind their hips together. His arousal was undeniable now.

He continued to stroke her breasts, flicking and pinching her nipples and reveling in the growls and groans his movements evoked. She leaned over to kiss him ferociously, then straightened to let his mouth join his agile fingers at her breasts.

Rowan concentrated on licking and nipping at Aelin’s breasts while one free hand roamed lower over her abdomen. Her breathy moans gained frequency until she was nearly panting in his arms. His name escaped her quivering lips and Rowan growled in response, tearing himself away from her breasts to stare at her flushed face for a moment. Holding his gaze, Aelin slowly tilted her head back – exposing the fine expanse of her neck. The male inhaled sharply.

Delicately, Rowan brought his bared teeth to graze along the column of her throat, pausing to suckle at the pulse points. She drew a ragged breath just as his hand slipped under her lacy lingerie, but she regained her composure enough to splutter a warning: “D-don’t rip those!” He merely flashed her a smile before letting one finger skim her clitoris, rendering her exclamations unintelligible once again.

As the male slipped his fingers inside her, Aelin trembled and raked her fingernails lightly down his muscular chest. His eyelids fluttered shut momentarily and a growl ripped from his throat, so she repeated the movement with more force. They were both losing patience quickly, gasping for air and clutching each other as close as possible without disturbing the fresh tattoo. Aelin shifted to the side and let Rowan slide her lingerie down her long legs before tugging his pants off as well. Both garments were quickly abandoned on the bedroom floor.

Aelin settled above the warrior, flashing him a wicked grin tinged with shaky anticipation. He gripped her hips again to steady them both as she took his erection in hand and slowly lowered her body to his. Rowan groaned and Aelin gasped at the sensation of him sliding inside.

After a moment, Aelin began to rock her hips against Rowan’s. She carefully adjusted the angle until he pushed himself up to kiss her, lips moving frantically as their tongues tangled. Rowan thrust upward, making Aelin moan deeply against his mouth. She scraped her fingernails down his back this time, and his stuttering growl made her dizzy with arousal.

They remained locked in their amorous embrace, their movements gradually becoming more frenzied as each neared their peak. Finally Aelin cried out, shaking with the force of her climax, and clutched Rowan’s shoulders as the orgasm tore through her body. Moments later the male groaned loudly as his own climax hit. The two collapsed against one another in the aftermath, unwilling to let the moment end.

Rowan was the first to move. He lifted his head from Aelin’s shoulder and pushed a lock of golden hair from her eyes, asking silently if she was all right. She managed a weak smile. _I don’t think I could be better. Now don’t be an overprotective pain in my ass._ The warrior laughed quietly. He gently lifted Aelin from his lap and let her sprawl comfortably on the bed before curling around her flushed body. They nestled drowsily together while she trailed her fingers along the red scratches she’d left on his chest.

At long last, she whispered, “I’m glad it wasn’t just once.” Rowan was nearly asleep but raised one eyebrow questioningly. Aelin smiled softly. “Kissing you. I’m glad I got to do it again.”

He released an unstable breath before gazing deeply into her turquoise eyes and reminding her: “To whatever end, Fireheart. We go together.”

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to my favorite Puddy for beta-ing <3


End file.
